[hr][hr][center][h1][i][b][color=4682b4]Ash Holloway[/color][/b][/i][/h1][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/92d5f43a-8b98-4f28-9d91-88707ca27ccf.gif[/img][/center][hr][center][color=steelblue][b]Location:[/b][/color] Quarantine (Conference Room)
[color=4682b4][b]Skills:[/b][/color] N/A [/center][hr][hr]

	Ash let his had fall to his side, straightening back up to his full height. Victor hadn't traveled as far as he had because of a general desire to be reunited with the people of Newnan. Or maybe he did, it wasn't like Ash was a mind reader. The older man's sights seemed to be only for Tatiana, Jack, and little Jamie. And he couldn't blame him in the least. With a smile birthed of contentment for the four of them all, Ash stepped back and let them have their moment without trying to intrude further. It's not like he was going to try anything while they were hugging, kneeling there on the floor. 

	But someone did. Stunned almost beyond the capacity for facial expression, Ashton just stood there as his eyebrows raised to proportions virtually unheard of outside of the harrowing (but thankfully now defunct) world of "plastic surgery disaster" themed reality television. He raised his hand, motioning toward the unfolding scene as Riley went for it, mouth opened slightly as if considering his options. He still didn't speak. Yet. Ultimately, he gave it a wait until she was finished expressing her satisfaction to see Victor before venturing to address the situation. 

	When he did, the rural sarcasm common to the culture of Ash's upbringing sounded as surely as the Old Dominion color of his voice; sometimes lilting with the tiniest tinge of amusement, and sometimes rasping with an annoyance that was more avuncular in nature than condescending: [color=4682b4]"Now, Miss Ridgeway... I know you look up to me - I'd look up to me, too. I'm just a hell of a guy, ask anybody."[/color] He shook his head slightly, continuing, [color=4682b4]"But if the aim is to get your very own imprint of Tatiana's wedding ring on the side of your face [i]just like me[/i], then you are on your way, little lady."[/color] Quieter, he summarized, [color=4682b4]"That's a moment they're not getting back. I'd chalk it up to a sudden rush of blood sugar and let it slide, but I'm not rooming with the Russian firecracker. Best of luck."[/color]

	Ash gave it the slightest piece of hope that the verbal discourse would be noted and accepted as enough of a dressing down for the meantime. There was a touching moment to get back to, damnit, and whomever was in charge of this place was about to show up. The last thing they needed was to be at each other's throats. Again. If the last hour or so of their lives was any indicator, this might be too much to hope for. They appeared to be losing their sense of discipline, washed away by alternating emotion and apathy. Ash could only cross his fingers and wait to see if all of them, including himself, would even out after the initial shock of change had abated.  

	



[hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=dc143c]Thalia Carmichael[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/e5a2acd6-4a43-4fdf-81a0-ae19c80e184c.jpg[/img][hr][b][color=crimson]Location:[/color][/b] Quarantine (Conference Room)
[b][color=dc143c]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A [hr][hr][/center]

	Yeah, of course the loudmouth that kept swatting at some imaginary bug would have to say something that made Thalia feel a twinge of awful. At least it wasn't intentional. How could it be? He didn't know her from ignorant, apple-picking Eve and even if the guy knew about her family, she was always the odd one out, or the one that didn't get counted among the rest because her last name never got changed to match her father's. Thalia had to admit though, sometimes it was a blessing. Her features made her what was commonly referred to among the community to which they belonged a "Stealth Latina", meaning that despite her mixed heritage, she could easily pass for Caucasian. In her case, particularly Italian/Sicilian with extreme ease. Naturally, being trained as she was, the term could be used to mean something a little more literal. She [i]was[/i] a very stealthy Latina. 

	Back to it, the guy went and used the phrase "cross cultural familia". That stung a little. Not that it reminded her of someone she had lost, but that in her epic quest to maintain a lowered profile, Thalia had neglected to get back to something she was supposed to speak to the priest about. Now that Father Pearson had entered the room, she had immediately taken interest in what was on the television instead of dealing with family matters. Thalia had asked the man earlier if he had heard of a Father Benicio Gonzalez, hoping that another man of the cloth might know something. As a side note, being who she was already didn't make for the smoothest of childhoods; the fact that her dad was a Catholic priest wasn't a great help with that, either. 

	It seemed that Thalia had been trying like hell to get into one or another purportedly important conversations with one or another person since this day began. Strike that, she began the day by trying unsuccessfully to remove a duct tape boobytrapped rubber duckie. [i]Following[/i] that moment, she had been trying to get into one or another conversation about things which may or may not involve her family; alive, dead, or fates unknown. Well, to hell with trying not to get noticed. She was already uncomfortable in this new and unknown place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, with unnaturally cool air blown across her body. It would be difficult to make her feel more uncomfortable than she was, short of something really unexpected flying at her. 

	Still, no need to be rude. Any more than she had been today, anyway. Some had slipped out before her brain could tell her it was a bad idea. Maybe apologies later. For now, she addressed the guy who waved her to a specific seat. The older guy had called him something, but that was contradicted by the man himself. [color=dc143c]"Yah thanks, Spo- [i]Nigel[/i]."[/color] She noted the one woman of the group repeating her name after the grumpy man's sparse introductions. [color=dc143c]"Yeah. Thalia."[/color] She seemed a little distracted. [color=dc143c]"Mmm[i]Nigel[/i], can you save that seat for me? Gaht something."[/color] Crossing her arms so as to partly hide the fact that she was missing part of one, Thalia started moving toward Atticus. She stopped when she heard that the head man of this place would be arriving very soon. [i]Damn it.[/i] That Padre had something to tell her about her familia, maybe her father. Or he was jerking her around. Either way, Thalia wanted to know. 

        Thalia would still have opportunity later, she reasoned. There was a Sunday coming up in these seven days of quarantine and she knew that at least one of their number was Catholic. If not before then, she was going to ambush the fucker at confession. But for now, the devious woman stalked back to the reserved chair by the television and took a seat. Timing. All about timing. She needed to bide hers for answers. From this priest, the Army Captain, San Antonio, or Monterrey, she was going to get those answers. But first, [i]The Princess Bride[/i]. She really did like that movie. 




[hr][hr][center][h1][b][i][color=deb887]Hank Wright[/color][/i][/b][/h1][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/12999738-8626-45f0-a9bb-32db85f056ed.jpg[/img][hr][b][color=burlywood]Location:[/color][/b] Quarantine (Conference Room)
[b][color=deb887]Skills:[/color][/b] N/A [hr][hr][/center]

	Erica's quip about movie selection earned her a loud, nigh obnoxious, nasally log-sawing sound that very much mimicked a cartoon character snoring into a tin can. Just before it went too far into monotonous repetition, his nonverbal retort was interrupted by a sudden change to a sharper note, followed by Hank fluttering his eyelids as if rousing himself from a deep, zero-fucks-given sleep. An obviously fake yawn followed, then the steely-cynical man made a show of stretching his arms and popping his neck. [color=deb887]"Ah, sorry there, Barbs. Must've nodded off there for a sec. I miss anything important?"[/color] 

	Replacing his hands behind his head, Hank settled back into a glorious repose as the TV continued to glow and tell its story. It wouldn't be long now until whoever ran this circus graced them with an appearance, so he should probably get as much screen time in as he could. Precious seconds, all of them, for a person who had not feasted his eyes upon what used to be the modern conveniences of entertainment. Especially considering that it was a hobby wherein one might sit and tune out the rest of the people around him. Well, except for his Apocalypse Buddy, Wayne. [color=deb887]"That's right there, Maldonado. You go use that line on the blonde bus driver, eh... name escapes me. Daytona! There ya go."[/color] He appeared to mull over some consideration or another before resuming, [color=deb887]"Know what, that might not be a bad idea, actually. Go for it, Wayne."[/color] There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in his last words, rather a masculine air of approval. Hank was pretty sure that everyone alive Before had seen the movie, and definitely everyone living in [i]this[/i] settlement post-apocalypse had to have seen it, VHS being something of a rarer commodity these days and entertainment of any type harder to come by. And for crap's sake, good on the guy. Reaching out to other people, if he did indeed intend to and he wasn't just using the idea of the line for conversational fodder. It was something that Hank himself wasn't sure he wanted to do yet. If he was serious, then really, good on him. 

	Naturally, just to keep the conversation around the ol' TV from getting too fuzzy or emotional, Hank turned his attention back to Erica, who for reasons unknown to him (kindasorta) felt the need to turn the television down. [color=deb887]"Hey, make sure to pick out one of those Valerie Bert'n'Ernie movies, huh? You know she starred in half of those damn things for Lifetime, and the plots are all [i]exactly the same[/i]. Better than chasing a couple Xanax with some green NyQuil to get that beauty sleep, eh? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about."[/color] He gave an exaggerated wink and copped a cheesy smile, just for the occasion.